Printing-machine.



W. H. WALDRON.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHE Patented July 18.

W. H. WALDRON.

PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1917- mvmw K Patented luly 9, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM H. WALDBON, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

rnm'rme-mnen'mn.

sired number of colors so applied as to con stitute a pattern.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above noted type in which the paint or colors may be applied to a plain rug or carpet by one or any desired number of print blocks reciprocating in a straight line and' said invention particularly contemplates a novel form of block for printing textile fabrics of the above noted class.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for applying the proper quantities of coloring material or paint to the printing surface of a block and it is especially desired that said block shall be so constructed as to prevent its depositing coloring material upon the fabric at points where it is not desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a printing block for use in a machine of the character above noted, which shall be particularly, adapted for printing large bodies of woven and especially pile fabric, together with novel means for preventing the accumulation of paint or coloring material at the edges of the blocks andfor removing from the blocks the coloring material which has been ofiset thereon by reason of contact with previously colored parts of the fabric:

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively end and side elevations, the latter partly in section, of a printing machine constructed according to my invention; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section to some extent diagrammatic, further illustrating the detail construction of one of the printing blocks and its cooperating color supplying mechanism, forming part of my invention.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 191 8.,

Application filed May 22, 1917. Serial No. 170,185.

In the above. drawings, 1 represents the frame of a portion of my improved printing machine which includes guides 3 for the reception of reciprocating block carriers 2 consisting of two vertically movable members 5 operative in the guides 3, with a transverse member 6 extending across the machine and having a printing block 4 secured to it. Mounted in suitable bearings. carried by the frame is a transversely extending shaft to whose ends are fixed cams 11 for reciprocating the block carrier 2;-

it being understood that, as shown in Fig. 2, there is one of these cams at each side of the machine, and as many complete blockprinting units as may be required for the work to be performed.

Each of the vertical members 5'has at-* tached to its lower portion a roller 12 and these rollers are respectively operative on said cams so that as the latter arerotated by the shaft, the block carrier 2 and with it the block 4 are vertically reciprocated.

The fabric to be printed is moved over a table 36 carried by the main frame and having at its edges suitable endless conveying belts 37 provided with upwardly projecting pins or prongs 38 which engage the edges of the fabric, although obviously other means may be provided for moving the latter through the machine. Suitable mechanism, forming no part of the present invention, is provided to intermittently feed the conveying belts with the fabric through the machine, and it is to be understood that while I have illustrated but a single printing block and carrier with the associated mechanism, each machine as a matter of fact is provided with a' number of these, depending upon the number of colors to be applied and the pattern to be printed.

One important feature of my invention has to do particularly with the printing block 4, which consists of a back or body Y in the form of a relatively heavy iron plate 45 I their trunnions.

projected beyond the sides of the block 4 and are curved upwardly as indicated at 22.

I For applying the coloring material to the printing face of the block I, provide a carriage 50 supported on wheels 51 operative on tracks 52 extending along the sides of the table. This carriage supports a trough engraved 53 at whose ends are bearings for the support of a roller or brush 54 whereby liquid coloring material is transferred from thetrough or fountain to the under face of the plate 21 of the block.

Each 0 the carriage structures is pro- 4 vided with two doctors 55 and 56, respectively on opposite sides of the roller or brush 45 and each consisting, in the present instance, of a pair of bars 57 and 58, connected together in any suitable manner and having end trunnions or spindles 59 rotatably fitting suitable bearings at the ends.

of the carriage structure. The bars or plates 57 .and 58 clamp between them a blade 60 and in the case of the doctor 55, a trough 61 projects outwardly from the bottom of. the plate or bar 58 so as to catch the liquid collected by the blade 60 when this is moved in one direction over the engraved unprinted body plate 21.

The second doctor 56 has a similar but oppositely projecting trough 62 connected to and extending outwardly from the bottom of its block or plate57 in position to catch liquid removed from the engraved plate by its blade 60 when -the carriage is Under conditions of operation a plain or of fabric such as a rug or .carpet is place upon the pins of the endless conv'eyers and is moved thereby under the first of the series of printing blocks. Suitable pigment is supplied to the color carriage 50 of this block or "printing unit and said carriage is moved under said block in the direction indicated by the arrow. Coloring material is then transferred by the roller or brush 54 from the trough 53 to the under face of the plate 21 and all of said material except that in the depressions of said plate, is removed by the doctor-56, from which it runs back into the trough 53. The carriage is then moved in the reverse direc tion and when it is clear of the block, the

latter is forcibly moved down by the cams 11 so that the coloring material in the depressions of its plate 21 is applied to the fabric ;suflicient force bein exerted upon the block to insure that said abric is forced into the depressions and made to absorb or receive the coloring material therein.

After the block hasbeen again raised to its upper position, the fabric is fed forward through a definite distance and thereafter subjected to theprinting action of other similar blocks, which however, apply to it other colors of paint or pigment at different has printed upon it a predetermined pattern. 2

Obviously the successive recip rolcations portions of its surface, so that ultimately it of the various blocks after the first, causes some of the coloring material previously applied to the fabric to be transferred to their surfaces and as the color carriage moves under each block, the plate 60 of the doctor 55 scrapes or cleans this undesirable coloring material from said surface before fresh coloring material is applied thereto by the roll or brush 54. The mixed paints so removed are collected in the trough 61 from which they are withdrawn from time to time and at the same time the surplus paint removed by the blade of the doctor 56 is directed back into the trough or'fountain. I r If the plate 21 was plane or flat throughout its extent, the color applying roll or brush 54 in delivering paint to it would permit a mass of such material to accumulate along its sides or edges and this would be transferred to the fabric when the block was moved down, thereby printing a line or otherwise marking said fabric in an undesirable manner; By turning up the edges orsides of the engraved plate 21 as indicated at 22, the doctor blade 60, by reason of the gravitational action of its trough 61 or some equivalent device, follows up said curved side and thus removes the coloring material, not only from the fiat surface of the block but also from a greater or less portion of the upwardly curved side extension, with the result that when the plate is brought into contact with the fabric, there is no mass of coloring material at its sides as would. otherwise be the case.

After having operated upon the engraved plate asthe color carriage is "moved under it, the doctors are swung into substantially vertical positions where they remain until, as the carriage is moved to return to its nor- I mal position at the right of the block, they strike one curved side 22 of the plate 21 and are moved to the oppositely inclined positions shown in dotted lines. ,When the doctors have again acted upon the plate and thereafter assumed vertlcal positions, the.

reversal of the direction of movement of the carriage turns them into engagement with the second or right hand turne -up edge 22,

whereby as the carriage is moved under the block, they are swung into the positions shown infull lines in the drawings.

Regardless of the direction of movement of the carriage, there is thus one doctor operating in advance of the color-applying roller or brush, to remove and collect any paint or coloring material off-set on the face of the plate from the fabric previously printed by the other blocks, together with a second doctor which removes from the plate and returns to the fountain, all coloring material except that in the depressions of said late.

I c aim 1. The combination in a printing machine of a reciprocable printing block; means for applying coloring material thereto including a fountain reciprocable under the block; a doctor for removing surplus coloring material from the block, said doctor being formed to cause the material removed to be delivered into the fountain when it moves over the block in one direction and including means for separately collecting the removed material when it moves over the block in an opposite direction.

2. The combination in a printing machine able under said block and including a color applying roller; doctors mounted to act on the block on opposite sides of the roller respectively and each including means for separately collecting coloring material when moved over the block in one direction.

3. The combination in a printing machine of a reciprocating block having a bottom printing face; a color applying device movable undersaid block and including a color applying roller; doctors mounted to act on the block on opposite sides of the roller respectively and including oppositely extending containers placed to collect coloring material removed from the block.

4. The combination in a printing machine of a reciprocable printing block; a color applying device reciprocable under said block; an oscillatory doctor mounted to act upon the printing face of the blockin either of two positions; with means for automatically reversing the position of the doctor after each of its en agements with the block.

5. The com ination in a printing machine of a reciprocable printing block; a color applying device reciprocable under said block; an oscillatory doctor mounted to act upon the printing face of the block in either of two positions; with means for automatically reversing the position of the doctorafter each of its engagements with the block, the same consisting of an upwardly projecting extension at the side of said block..

6. .The combination in a printing machine of a reciprocable printing block; a color applying device reciprocable under said bloc an oscillatory doctor mounted to act upon the printing face of the block in either of two positions; means for automatically r'eversing the position of the doctor after each of its engagements with the block; with a trough for separately collecting coloring material removed by the doctor when the latter occupies one of its two positions in engagement' with the block.

7. The combination in a printing machine of a reciprocable block; means for applying coloring material to said block; a reversible doctor for removing surplus material from the block, at least one curved side extension for the block extending away from the plane thereof; with means for causing the doctor to press against the printing face of the block and also to act on the surface of the extension, said extension being formed to reverse the doctor when its direction of movement relatively to the block is reversed.

upwardly curved edge extensions; means for I applying coloring material to the under side of the block; a doctor for removing surplus coloring-material from the block; and means for causing said doctor to operate on the printing face of the block and also on said edge extensions, consisting of a trough placeclto receive color removed by the doctor when this is operating in one direction. In witness whereof I aflix my signature. WILLIAM H. WALDRON. 

